Twelve years after his passing, legislation to honor pioneering gastroenterologist Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner with a congressional gold medal has been introduced in the House.
Paul Alexander was stricken with polio as a boy and spent more than 70 years needing an iron lung chamber to help him breathe. He obtained a law degree and later gained a social media following as he recounted tales of his life.
The chief executive, not only in his presidential role but as a grandfather, praised Salk as a "benefactor of mankind" and told the 40-year-old scientist who discovered the life-saving vaccine that his work was the "highest tradition of selfless and dedicated research."
Tons of Salk anti-polio vaccine were rushed to points throughout the country today and public health authorities planned to start inoculating 57 million American youngsters almost immediately.